German automotive manufacturer Porsche is taking its use of 3D printing to new places with the production of 3D printed pistons for the high-performance engine in the 911 GT2 RS sports car. The pistons are being manufactured in collaboration with Porsche partners Mahle and Trumpf.
Up until recently, Porsche has primarily relied on additive manufacturing for the production of prototypes and spare parts for classic sports cars. Now, the company is showcasing its belief in the technology’s potential by 3D printing end-use piston components for its 911 flagship model. AM has enabled Porsche to redesign the pistons for optimized load handling, which has in turn resulted in a more lightweight component. Specifically, the 3D printed pistons are 10% lighter than the forged series production pistons. The updated pistons also integrate a closed cooling duct in their crown – a geometry only achievable using 3D printing. All these improvements have resulted in a higher performing and more efficient part.
“Thanks to the new, lighter pistons, we can increase the engine speed, lower the temperature load on the pistons and optimise combustion,” said Frank Ickinger, who works in the advance drive development department at Porsche. “This makes it possible to get up to 30 PS more power from the 700 PS biturbo engine, while at the same time improving efficiency.”
The 3D printed pistons were manufactured using a laser metal fusion process and a high-purity metal powder. As stated, Porsche worked closely with German automotive parts manufacturer Mahle and industrial machine manufacturing company Trumpf for the parts’ production. Final quality and performance validation was conducted using measurement systems from Zeiss.
Porsche’s 3D printing journey
In addition to the 3D printed pistons for the 911 GT2 RS, Porsche recently unveiled a new bodyform full-bucket seat for its 911 and 718 series. The seat, which is customizable in terms of firmness level, integrates several 3D printed components, including the cushion and backrest surfaces.
“The seat is the interface between the human and the vehicle, and is thus important for precise, sporty handling,” said Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche. “That’s why personalised seat shells customised for the driver have been standard in race cars for a long time now.”
The innovative seat design is based on a sandwich construction concept, which is made up of a base support made of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and the customizable comfort layer, which is 3D printed from polyurethane-based materials and achieves its tuneable firmness thanks to a lattice structure. The seat’s outer skin is made from Racetex and has a perforation pattern that encourages climate control.
Porsche is also known for using AM for the production of spare parts that are no longer available for vintage car models. For instance, the company is now producing the release lever for the Porsche 959 clutch using 3D printing. In total, the automotive manufacturer says it is producing roughly 20 replacement parts using AM.
